By the Light of the Silver Moon 2
by Major Sonic Freak
Summary: Silvershine is a WindClan warrior with a complicated past. With only parts of her past revealed, Silvershine has to balance her new warrior duties with uncovering the truth. To make matters worse, a new threat has come to the lake and made itself at home.
1. Prologue

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highrock for a Clan meeting!" a white she-cat yowled from atop a sleek gray rock that sat in a particularly marshy area.

Below, cats had already begun to gather, stepping right onto the swampy ground as if it meant nothing to them. Just below the rock itself were two young light gray cats, one a sleek-furred tom, the other tortoiseshell she-cat. The she-cat wriggled her nose which was wrapped in cobwebs.

The white she-cat bounded down from the rock and stood before the two young cats. "You two have waited long enough," she said to them, then raised her head and yowled to the sky. "I, Lillystar, leader of RiverClan call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." She looked down at the tom first. "Fishpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Fishpaw nodded, determination flaring in his amber eyes.

"Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior name," Lillystar continued, "Fishpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Fishsplash. StarClan acknowledges your determination and we welcome you as a warrior of RiverClan." She rested her nose on Fishplash's head and Fishsplash licked her shoulder.

"Fishsplash! Fishsplash!" the cats all cheered.

"Dapplepaw," Lillystar turned to the she-cat, "do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"Yes," Dapplepaw replied firmly, "I do."

"Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior name," Stormstar continued, "Dapplepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Dapplefur. StarClan acknowledges your loyalty and we welcome you as a warrior of RiverClan." She rested her nose on Dapplefur's head and Dapplefur licked her shoulder.

"Dapplefur! Dapplefur!" the Clan called out, gathering closer around the two new warriors to congratulate them.

After the excitement died down, Dapplefur and Fishsplash went in opposite directions. Dapplefur headed towards a den of reeds where a pale gray tabby she-cat with brown patches sat hunched over.

"Scratchpaw, don't you have something to say?" Dapplefur prompted.

"No," Scratchpaw hissed. "Why would I?"

A growl rumbled in Dapplefur's throat, but she struggled to keep a look of contempt off her face.

"Oh, you think just because you're a warrior now you're better than me, that it?" Scratchpaw sauntered up to Dapplefur. "I don't care if you're Dapplestar, you'll always just be little old Dapplekit to me."

"I can take you down any time, any day!" Dapplefur bristled.

"Right here, right now," Scratchpaw's claws slid out an pulled up the grass in the clearing.

"Tomorrow," Dapplefur said. "Tonight's the full moon."

"Aww," Scratchpaw pulled her claws back in, "little Dapplekit's afraid to anger StarClan."

"I'm not afraid!" Dapplefur hissed.

"That's the only reason anyone ever follows rules, fear," Scratchpaw hissed. "You obey out of fear."

"How bout loyalty?!" Dapplefur demanded. "Ever thought of that?"

"Why?" Scratchpaw asked. "Why are you loyal? What's making you be loyal? It's fear, Dapplekit. You fear StarClan, and I don't see why."

"Well why do _you_ follow the warrior code?!" Dapplefur demanded.

"It's fear, I'll admit," Scratchpaw said. "I don't fear StarClan, or Lillystar, she's no better than a kittypet. But Largebelly I'm a little afraid of. I'd rather not have to deal with him."

"Scratchpaw, what are you doing now?" a light orange tabby she-cat padded over to them.

"_She's_ the one with her claws out!" Scratchpaw defended.

Dapplefur realized she was right. She frantically pulled in her claws, sat up straight and forced her fur to lie flat.

"I know you," the she-cat scolded, "and I know that you had to have started this. Now appologize."

"Sorry I made you mad, Dapplekit," Scratchpaw's snobby reply and teasing demeanor showed, plain as day, that she wasn't sorry at all.

"Scratchpaw!" the she-cat snarled. "She is a _warrior_ now! Show some respect!"

"She'll get it when she earns it," Scratchpaw sneered. "And so will you!"

"Scratchpaw," a dark gray tabby tom came up beside the she-cat, "listen to your mother."

Scratchpaw screwed up her face in annoyance. "Fine. Sorry, happy now?"

"No," the tom replied, "but I won't let you spoil Dapplefur's good mood. We'll discuss this later."

A growl rumbled in Scratchpaw's throat as she trudged off into the den.

The light orange she-cat sighed heavily and slouched beside her mate. "How do you do it?"

"She's a strong spirit," the tom replied, "and you've just got to be stronger. She won't think twice about belittling anyone, until they strike back. Her respect is something you have to earn. Claw off half her ear, that should do it."

The she-cat let out a slight _mrrow_ of amusement. "You know I'd never do that."

"And so does she," the tom replied. "And until you prove her wrong, she'll just keep at it. I would know."

The she-cat sighed once again. "She's certainly your kit," she leaned against her mate's shoulder, "Rockstripe."


	2. Chapter 1

Silvershine lay on a patch of grass and carefully licked her leg where the fox had bitten her. Most of the wound was covered over by dried blood, as it had been for the last few days. Still, Pepperface had insisted that Silvershine be confined to camp.

_I hate feeling this useless_, Silvershine thought. _I can't hunt, I can't go on border patrols, I'll bet Pepperface won't even let me go to the Gathering tonight. Not like I've earned the right to go, risking my life and everyone else's on the patrol for an apprentice in another Clan._

Silvershine sighed wistfully and looked to the sky. Bright red and orange streaked the sky as the sun dipped out of sight. In the opposite direction, the full moon was cautiously peeking out over the mountains, as if it was waiting for the sun to leave before it could venture out into the sky.

Silvershine jumped as she felt something brush against her wound followed by a yelp. She turned around to see Flavorkit sniffing at her leg. "Flavorkit, what are you doing?!"

"Did I hurt you?" Flavorkit asked.

"No," Silvershine replied. "You just startled me."

"Oh, O.K." Flavorkit said. "Does it still hurt?"

"No," Silvershine said, "but Pepperface is still afraid I'll open it again if I do anything like hunting or fighting."

"Aww," Flavorkit padded behind Silvershine and flopped over the warrior's belly.

"Where are your brothers?" Silvershine asked, not used to seeing any of the three kits off on their own.

"I dunno," Flavorkit replied. "You goin' to the Gathering tonight?"

"I dunno," Silvershine mimicked the kit's answer, to which Flavorkit let out a _mrrow_ of laughter. "I don't know if Pepperface'll let me."

"And why wouldn't I?" the medicine cat padded up to them.

"Oh I dunno," Silvershine said, "maybe I could open it up again jumping on the log."

"I doubt it," Pepperface said. "It's just one little leap…alright two, but still, that was almost half a moon ago, I think you should be fine. I think it's healing nicely, but just to be sure, I _want_ you to go to the Gathering tonight."

"Why?" Silvershine asked.

"What no 'thank-you Pepperface'?" Pepperface teased.

"Well, yea, thanks," Silvershine said, "but why?"

"Well I think it's doing fine, but it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on it," Pepperface said. "And since I'm going to the Gathering, it'd be the perfect opportunity to see how it holds up with more use, like jumping."

"Oh, O.K." Silvershine said.

"So Silvershine's gonna be O.K?" Flavorkit asked.

"Yes, Silvershine will be fine," Pepperface assured the kit.

"Great, looks like I'm going to the Gathering then," Silvershine said as Pepperface left.

"Are Gatherings fun?" Flavorkit asked. "They sound like fun! All the Clans go, don't they?"

"Yea, that's right," Silvershine said. "And I have friends in other Clans."

"Really?!" Flavorkit exclaimed. "Can I meet them?"

"You're not old enough to leave camp," Silvershine said. She looked at the kit and realized she hadn't noticed how much larger the kit was; she looked almost as large as an apprentice. "Flavorkit, how old _are_ you?"

"Five-and-a-half moons!" Flavorkit said, proudly.

"Wow, already?!" Silvershine exclaimed. "Flavorkit, you're almost old enough to be an apprentice."

"Really?!" Flavorkit's eyes lit up. "And I get a mentor, right?"

"That's right," Silvershine said.

"You think _you_ could mentor me?" Flavorkit asked.

"Um….I don't know," Silvershine admitted. "I've only been a warrior for a few moons. I think a more experienced warrior will mentor you and your brothers."

"But I want you to be my mentor!" Flavorkit cried. "You've taught me so much already! Why can't you teach me everything!?"

"Flavorkit, it's not up to me," Silvershine said, "it's Stormstar's decision. And I think Amberpelt gets to help too."

"Amberpelt was your mentor, right?" Flavorkit asked, "then she'll probably tell Stormstar to let you mentor me!"

"Maybe," Silvershine wasn't so sure. If anything, Amberpelt would know if she really wasn't ready for an apprentice which might lower her chances. "Well, whatever happens, I'll still be here. It's not like if I don't mentor you we'll never see each other again."

"I guess so," Flavorkit sighed.

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Silvershine scraped her claws against the weather-worn bark of the tree-bridge. No matter how many times she crossed it, she was still terrified of falling.

"You're doing fine," Pepperface assured her as she leapt up behind the silver warrior.

"Yea, I know," Silvershine said. With a deep breath, she hopped down to the island.

"Alright, you're just fine," Pepperface concluded. "As of tomorrow, you can resume warrior duties."

"Thanks, Pepperface," Silvershine said as the medicine cat headed deeper onto the island.

Silvershine went straight to the meeting place she and her friends had established. Snakepaw and Shadetail were there along with Dapplefur.

"Hi," Silvershine greeted them all. "No Dewpaw today?"

"She and Lizardpaw got in a fight," Shadetail explained, "so Phantomstar confined them both to camp today.

"And you weren't involved?" Silvershine turned to Snakepaw.

"I was on patrol," Snakepaw admitted, "or else I would've been!"

"What about you Da- woa, what happened to your nose?!" Silvershine exclaimed, noticing the claw marks of another cat across the gray tortoiseshell's muzzle.

"Border skirmish with ShadowClan," Dapplefur replied. "My brother and I were a part of it."

"You mean Fishpaw?" Silvershine asked.

Dapplefur shook her head. "No, Fishsplash."

"Wait, your brother's a warrior?!" Silvershine exclaimed. "But what about-"

"Dapplefur!" an angry yowl came from the undergrowth and Fishsplash leapt out, "why are you talking to _her?_"

"Dapple_fur_?" Shadetail asked, "way ta go. Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I wanted everyone to be here for the announcement," Dapplefur replied. "And thanks for ruining it, you mouse-brain."

"You still didn't answer my question," Fishsplash growled.

"What's it to you who I talk to?" Dapplefur spat. "It's a Gathering, it doesn't matter what Clan they're in."

"Don't you know who _that cat_ is?!" Fishsplash pointed accusingly with his tail at Silvershine.

"Look, I know Silvershine beat me in a fight and now you're all worked up about it," Dapplefur said, "but that was moons a-"

"She did _not_ beat me!" Fishsplash insisted. "I would have so had her if we hadn't been interrupted!"

"Is that the only reason you came here?" Snakepaw snarled, "to be a fox-hearted pain-in-the-tail?!"

"Hey, watch your mouth!" Fishsplash snapped, "you're lucky it's the full moon or I'd-"

"No _you_ watch it!" Snakepaw spat. "Everyone was just fine over here and now you show up and just start trying to turn us against each other!"

"How do you know?!" Fishsplash demanded, "I could just be here to talk to my sister!"

"Well, if you can't handle being nice to other cats, you can just talk to her in your own Clan," Shadetail growled, "now bug off!"

"Hmf, fine!" Fishsplash whirled around and held his tail in the air before bounding off into the undergrowth.

"He's such a mouse-brain," Dapplefur groaned. "I can't believe I once got mad at you for his sake."

"We all make mistakes," Silvershine said.

"Silvershine!" another mew came from the undergrowth, but this time Raccoonpaw emerged. "There you are! I thought I smelled you!"

"Oh, hey Raccoonpaw," Silvershine waved with her tail, "glad to see you made it to a Gathering."

"Yea, and it's great!" Raccoonpaw exclaimed, "I'm meeting a bunch of new cats and learning so much about how other Clans live!"

"So, _who's_ this?" Shadetail asked.

"This is Raccoonpaw," Silvershine turned to her other friends. "He's a ThunderClan apprentice. Raccoonpaw, this is Snakepaw, and Shadetail of ShadowClan and Dapplefur of RiverClan."

"Wow! There's one of us from each Clan!" Raccoonpaw exclaimed.

"Yea, I guess there is," Silvershine admitted.

"So what are you all doing way over here?" Raccoonpaw asked.

"This is where we meet," Dapplefur explained. "Every Gathering we all come here, that way we know right away if anyone's not here."

"Yea, like my sister, Dewpaw, isn't here," Snakepaw said.

"Is it O.K. for _me_ to come here every Gathering too?" Raccoonpaw asked.

"You don't need to ask permission!" Silvershine said with a _mrrow_ of amusement. "You can do whatever you want!"

"Oh, alright," Raccoonpaw said. "But, I mean, can I be your guys' friend too?"

"Aww, how cute," Dapplefur said, "Raccoonpaw, friendships are _formed_ not given away when you ask for it."

"Oh…alright," Raccoonpaw sighed.

"Now wait, that doesn't mean you _can't_ be our friend," Shadetail put in quickly. "You've got to _become_ our friend. Like hang out with us and talk before each Gathering."

"Like right now!" Raccoonpaw said excitedly.

"Yes, like right now," Silvershine said with a _mrrow_ of amusement.

"What's wrong with you anyway?!" Snakepaw demanded, probably the only one of the group who did not find Raccoonpaw's antics adorable. "How do you not know what a friend is?"

"I…I never had friends before," Raccoonpaw said. "Well, wait, I guess I do have friends in ThunderClan. But…I never really thought about how we became friends. I dunno….."

"You were a rogue, weren't you?" Shadetail asked.

The other cats gasped at her question. Silvershine knew _she_ would be ashamed to answer that, and she also knew Shadetail was not too fond of rogues.

"Y….yea," Raccoonpaw admitted, "why? Is that bad?"

"No, not really," Shadetail replied, to everyone's astonishment. "At least not for ThunderClan. They're known to take in just about any cat. I wouldn't be surprised if one day they adopt a cat that turns out to be a sick, twisted, evil, power-grabber bent on conquering all the clans!"

"Uh, wasn't that Tigerstar?" Snakepaw asked.

"No, I think Tigerstar was a forest cat by birth," Shadetail said.

"What about Sol?" Dapplefur asked. "Didn't _your_ Clan take him in long ago?"

"Blackstar was a mouse-brain, O.K.?" Shadetail spat. "That can't be helped."

"Cats of all Clans!" the opening words of the Gathering rang out over the island.

"Fox dung, we're late!" Snakepaw exclaimed.

"Let's hurry!" Silvershine said, "we may be able to still make it!"

The five cats darted between the trees into the Island's center. Silvershine and Raccoonpaw were at the front of the group, Silvershine being the fastest and Racconpaw being the most used to maneuvering through trees. They stopped near the back of the gathered cats, not wanting to make their lateness known by trying to push through to get closer.

"Singepaw, Dirtpaw, and Songpaw are attending their first Gathering," Phantomstar was saying.

"Singepaw! Dirtpaw! Songpaw!" the cats cheered as Phantomstar stepped back making way for Lillystar.

"Today, RiverClan honors two new warriors," Lillystar announced, "Dapplefur and Fishsplash!"

"Dapplefur! Fishsplash!" the cats all cheered.

"Whirlkit and Splashkit have also left the nursery and are now Whirlpaw and Splashpaw!" Lillystar continued.

"Whirlpaw! Splashpaw!" the cats cheered.

"I wish I had news as good as everyone else's so far," Stormstar said, "but WindClan's time of celebration is coming. Our medicine cat says that Bluemist should have her kits any day now, and our three kits are almost ready to become apprentices. You all can expect great news from WindClan next moon." And with that, he stepped back, signaling with his tail for Mudstar to proceed.

"ThunderClan also has good news," Mudstar said, "we welcome Flowertail as a new warrior!"

"Flowertail! Flowertail!" the gathered cats cheered.

"And Finchtail has gone to the nursery in anticipation of kits," Mudstar continued. "But the news is not all good. Our patrols scented WindClan on our territory once again!" She glared accusingly at Stormstar.

"No WindClan cats crossed the border!" Stormstar defended. "And if I find any have, they will be punished severely."

"That would be comforting if I could trust your word," Mudstar snarled, her claws sliding out and scraping the bark. "It was a whole patrol scented there!"

"Does she _have_ to start a fight every moon?" Dapplefur asked. "And with WindClan too. What's her problem?"

"Uh….I don't know," Silvershine replied. She knew full well what patrol Mudstar was referring to. Should she speak out? She wasn't sure just how the news would be taken, Snowsoot hadn't been too happy with it.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Stormstar said.

"Liar!" Mudstar snarled, seeming almost ready to pounce.

"STOP!" the cry came from beside Silvershine.

"Raccoonpaw, what is the meaning of this?!" Mudstar demanded. "You cannot speak out in a Gathering!"

"Stormstar's telling the truth!" Raccoonpaw exclaimed, "or at least, the cats who crossed the border did nothing wrong."

"Did you _see_ them?!" Mudstar demanded.

Raccoonpaw swallowed hard, he was obviously nervous about what he had to say. "Yes. I was the reason they crossed the border. There were foxes on our territory, two of them, full grown. I think they may have been mates too. I found them, but they also found me. I was in real trouble. But then, out of the bushes, Silvershine comes out and attacks the foxes. She and the rest of the patrol drove them out and saved my life!"

"Is this true, Silvershine?" Stormstar turned to face her now.

"Yes," Silvershine dipped her head, "I was the first one to cross the border. I don't know what I was thinking! I don't think I was, I just saw another cat in trouble and I had to do something! Rainfall and Echobound followed to help me and then Snowsoot and Longears had no choice."

"I see," Stormstar said, "and why did no one tell me?" His eyes traveled closer to the front of the gathered cats. Silvershine guessed that's where Snowsoot was, she was the only other one from that patrol who had come.

"I…I didn't think it mattered enough to mention," Snowsoot's meow was crackling with nervousness.

_No, you just thought that you had done something wrong in not stopping the patrol and didn't want Stormstar to think any less of you,_ Silvershine could hear her mother's voice as if she were thinking the thoughts herself.

Silvershine ignored this and simply directed her attention at what was going on around her.

"We'll talk about this after the Gathering," Stormstar warned.

"And as for you," Mudstar scolded Raccoonpaw, "you're confined to camp until after the next Gathering."

"Yes, Mudstar," Raccoonpaw sighed, although Silvershine doubted the ThunderClan leader had heard.

"Well, what's everyone still standing around for?" Mudstar asked, "the Gathering's over, get going!"

"Wow, that's rough," Dapplefur said to Raccoonpaw. "You didn't really do anything wrong either."

"And you didn't tell us you saved him," Shadetail turned to Silvershine.

"I didn't think it was important," Silvershine said.

"Important or not I still wanna hear this story," Shadetail said.

"Well, there's no time now," Snakepaw said, "we've gotta go."

"Next moon then," Shadetail said.

"Next moon," Silvershine agreed.

"You have fun without me," Raccoonpaw sighed.

"Well, maybe Mudstar will change her mind," Dapplefur soothed.

"She should, if you ask me," Silvershine said.

"Maybe," Racconpaw sighed. "Anyway, I gotta go."

"Bye," all the cats said as they parted ways to be with their clanmates.


	3. Chapter 2

"Nothing," Silvershine sighed, sitting up straight by the lakeshore, "not even a minnow."

"Well, that's what happens in leaf bare," Ashcloud sympathized, "prey is scarce."

"Well, let's get back," Tailwind picked up her catches and led the patrol back to the camp entrance.

As Silvershine went to deposit her meager contributions, she heard a joyful yowling.

"Quarter moon! Quarter moon!" Flavorkit sang out while prancing in circles around the clearing.

"What about it?" Silvershine asked, coming over to where the other two littermates stood.

"Only a quarter moon until we're apprentices!" Sunkit exclaimed.

"Wow, really?" Silvershine asked, "that soon, huh?"

"Not long until we're warriors," Patchkit said, proudly.

"We'll see," Silvershine said.

"Hey, Silvershine, can _you_ mentor us?" Sunkit asked.

"No!" Flavorkit bounded over to them, "Silvershine's _my_ mentor! Find your own!"

"No way, Silvershine's gonna be my mentor!" Sunkit snapped.

"Silvershine will want to mentor a great warrior," said Patchkit, "so she'll obviously choose the best of us to mentor."

"Like I said, she'll be my mentor!" Flavorkit said.

"You're not the best!" Patchkit spat, "you're the dumbest!"

"No _you're_ the dumbest!" Flavorkit protested.

"Nu uh!" Patchkit sneered.

"Why are you guys fighting?" Sunkit asked, "I mean, Silvershine's _obviously_ gonna mentor me, so you guys have no-"

His two littermates pounced on him, wrestling him to the ground. After a brief moment of triumph over him, the two looked at each other and it seemed something clicked and they began to fight. It wasn't long until they were just a mass of writhing fur.

Silvershine looked around the camp, a bit worried if anyone was watching, but no one seemed to be paying the kits any mind. _How great it is to be a kit_, she thought. _You can fight and no one really thinks much of it, you're cute, everyone likes you. They don't know cats in other Clans, they don't have to worry about the world….I wonder how Raccoonpaw's doing, for that matter._

Silvershine's thoughts were interrupted as she collapsed to the ground. Latched onto each of three of her paws was a kit. They all immediately clambered on top of her, preventing her from getting up.

"See that?" Patchkit asked, "I made that up. Pretty great move, huh?"

"You coulda never pulled it off!" Sunkit hissed, "Silvershine _I_ was the one who knew we'd need to do it together to take down an older warrior! I'm the smart one, don't you wanna mentor the smart one?"

"I'm the tough one!" Patchkit insisted. "I show the most promise as a warrior. Why _wouldn't_ you wanna mentor me?!"

"I'm the cute one!" Flavorkit butted in. "I has a flavor! The flavor of a warrior! That's why I'm called Flavorkit! I have warrior flavor!"

"Warriors don't have a flavor!" Sunkit protested.

"Yea, you're just the stupid one," Patchkit snapped.

"Warriors do to have a flavor!" Flavorkit insisted, "they each have a different flavor, a flavor in their hearts!"

"I think you mean 'fervor,'" Silvershine corrected, having once heard that word before.

"No!" Flavorkit insisted, "I mean flavor! Like you and me, you're silver, I'm golden, but we both have the warrior flavor! We all have that thing in our hearts that we fight for, our Clan, our friends, our family, power, glory, love; those are warrior flavors."

Silvershine only stared at the kit, blinking occasionally. Her expression was as blank as her mind at that point. Did Flavorkit just say something profound?

"See, that's why you're the stupid one," Patchkit said.

"Whadoya mean?" Flavorkit asked.

"That was probably the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Patchkit said, "and I'm your littermate. Warrior _flavor_? C'mon! You've lost it!"

"Nu uh!" Flavorkit snapped. "I can't lose it, I don't have it, so how can I lose it? I don't want it anyway!"

"Uuuhhh….is this making any sense to you?" Sunkit asked Silvershine.

Silvershine didn't answer. She wondered why Tigerstripe hadn't showed up to take the kits away, she usually did when things got to be a little much. "Hey…um, where's your mother?" Silvershine asked, without really thinking about it.

Patchkit and Flavorkit stopped arguing and looked around.

"I dunno…." Sunkit replied. "She must be in the nursery."

"Wonder why she's not with Cloudfrost," Flavorkit mewed, "she likes to be with him when we're with you."

Silvershine looked around the camp and spotted the white warrior laying in a patch of grass, nibbling on a scrawny mouse, but his mate was nowhere to be found.

"Let's go!" Patchkit declared, already bounding towards the nursery.

"Hey, wait up!" Silvershine called, not wanting to leave the three kits unsupervised. She caught up quickly and stayed behind them as they approached the nursery.

"OUT!" came a yowl as soon as the three kits had darted into the den.

As if a fox were on their heels, they wheeled around and were out in a heartbeat, all hiding behind Silvershine.

"Was that Tigerstripe who yowled?" Silvershine asked.

"Silvershine?" Tigerstripe's meow came from inside the nursery before any of the kits could reply, "go get Pepperface! Bluemist's kits are coming!"

"Kits!" Flavorkit exclaimed and bounded for the nursery again.

"STAY OUT!" Tigerstripe yowled, "you three can come in _after_ she delivers."

"C'mon, let's go get Pepperface," Silvershine nudged them all away with her tail and proceeded to lead them across the clearing.

"Pepperface! Pepperface! Pepperface!" the kits all exclaimed as they charged into the medicine den.

"What what what?!" Pepperface exclaimed, partly alarmed and partly joking.

"The kits are coming! The kits are coming!" Flavorkit ran around in a circle, yowling frantically.

"Bluemist's?" Pepperface exclaimed.

"Yep!" Silvershine answered.

"I'll be there in a moment," Pepperface turned and disappeared into a crack in a boulder where Silvershine knew her store of herbs were. "Silvershine, keep the kits busy. I don't think it'll be good for Bluemist to have them in the nursery."

"Yea, Tigerstripe won't let them in," Silvershine said.

"Good," Pepperface emerged from her store with a wrap of leaves.

"That was fast," Silvershine remarked.

"I already had them prepared," Pepperface replied, "since I knew the kits were coming soon. Now, would you all kindly move?"

"C'mon, everybody out!" Silvershine shooed all the kits out of the medicine den.

"Why can't we watch?" Flavorkit asked.

"Birthing queens are not really all that fun to watch," Silvershine replied, remembering when the kits were born. _Was that really almost 6 moons ago?_

"We wanna meet our new denmates!" Sunkit protested.

"They won't be our denmates for long," Patchkit pointed out.

"And new kits don't do much anyway," Silvershine told them.

"I did much!" Flavorkit exclaimed, bouncing around. "I did lots when I was a kit!"

"You still _are_ a kit, mouse-brain," Patchkit hissed.

"Only for a quarter moon!" Flavorkit cried. "QUARTER MOON! I GET APPRENTICEISED IN A QUARTER MOON!!!"

Flavorkit's exclamation was followed by a shriek of pain.

"Owww!" Sunkit winced. "Flavorkit, don't do that."

"That wasn't me," Flavorkit said.

"That must have been Bluemist," Silvershine concluded, "the kits should be here any minute."

"That was the first one, it sounded like," said Graymist, who was in the clearing with Ashcloud, stroking him with her tail. "Calm down, she's fine."

"That didn't sound fine!" Ashcloud cried.

"The first one's always the hardest," Graymist soothed. "Can't you just be happy that you're going to be a father?"

"Not if the mother's not here anymore!" Ashcloud wailed.

"Hey, don't think like that," said Rainfall, who was at Ashcloud's other side. "She'll be fine, it's not too hard to have kits, I would imagine. Our mother was fine, and so was yours."

Ashcloud's response was drowned out by another ear-splitting wail.

"Well, that's two," said Graymist.

"She can't take much more by the sound of it!" Ashcloud exclaimed.

"She can't or you can't?" Rainfall asked. "Seriously, I think you're worse off than she is right now."

"Can you blame me?!" Ashcloud demanded. "How would you feel if Echobound was going through this?"

"Littermates are different than mates," Graymist said, "it's a different bond."

"Leave her out of this all the same," Rainfall said. "We're trying to help you, so accept it already!"

Silvershine jumped when she heard a rustling. She turned to see Pepperface emerging from behind the bush that guarded the nursery entrance. "How is she?" Silvershine asked.

"Just fine," Pepperface assured her. "Hey, does the new father wanna see his kits or what?!"

"My kits?!" Ashcloud exclaimed, pushing away from the two cats that were consoling him. "Are they alright? How many are there? How's Bluemist?"

"Fine, two, and also fine," Pepperface answered his questions in order. "Go see for yourself."

"Can we see?!" Sunkit asked as Ashcloud disappeared into the den.

"We don't need to crowd the den right now," Pepperface replied. "Give Bluemist some space. You can see them soon enough."

"Awww," the three kits moaned in unison.

"You have to sleep in there," Silvershine assured them, "so you'll see them soon enough."

"I'm tired!" Flavorkit faked a yawn.

"You are not!" Patchkit protested.

"You can't see the kits before us!" Sunkit added.

"You'll see them later," Tigerstripe padded up to them, "for now, let's let Ashcloud and Bluemist have some time alone. Silvershine, thanks again for keeping an eye on them."

"No problem," Silvershine said, "soon they'll have mentors to do that."

"But you'll still have to watch _me_, mentor!" said Flavorkit.

"No, Silvershine's gonna be my mentor!" Sunkit butted in.

"She's gonna chose me!" Patchkit snapped.

"Guys, guys!" Silvershine exclaimed, "I don't get to pick, Stormstar does."

"Awww," the kits moaned once more.

"Alright," Tigerstripe wrapped her tail around the three kits, drawing them close to her, "say goodbye to Silvershine, kits."

"Bye!" the three kits waved their tails to Silvershine, who returned the gesture.


	4. Chapter 3

Silvershine dropped a mouse and a thrush on the fresh-kill pile. She was ashamed at how little she had caught for how long the patrol had been out. She stretched lazily, she'd be on the evening patrol soon and then she could sleep. She remembered being outraged a few days before at how often she had to go on hunting patrols and still be expected follow up on border patrols, but it was leaf bare and the Clan had to be fed. A pang of hunger shot through her belly. _Myself included, _she thought, snatching back the mouse. Carrying it by the tail, she headed across the clearing.

"Five days! Five days!" Flavorkit sang as she ran around the clearing excitedly.

A _mrrow_ of laughter escaped Silvershine's lips around the mouse as she settled down to eat. She looked to Tigerstripe who was sitting off to the side watching her kit's antics.

"Silvershine," Tigerstripe said, "have you met Bluemist's kits yet?"

"Oh, no, I haven't," Silvershine said once she'd swallowed, just now realizing she'd been so busy over the last two days that she hadn't even had the time to meet the kits.

"Well why don't you?" Tigerstripe asked. "I think Bluemist has had enough rest."

"O.K. I think I will," Silvershine agreed, gulping down the last of the mouse. "Hey, she'll be alone in the nursery with her kits soon, huh?"

"Yes she will," Tigerstripe agreed. "I do feel bad about leaving her. She's a first-time queen like I was, and with leaf-bare here, it's going to be colder in there with less cats. And her kits are so young, I'm worried."

"Well don't be," Pepperface emerged from the nursery. "I'll take good care of her and her kits, and not just because I'm a medicine cat."

"Yes, they're in good paws," Tigerstripe agreed. "They're lucky to have such a great medicine cat as kin."

"Kin?" Silvershine asked. "Pepperface?"

"Ashcloud and I are littermates," Pepperface said. "Didn't I tell you that?"

"I thought you were an only kit!" Silvershine said.

"Nope," Pepperface said. "I was the first, but not the only. Anyway, they're sleeping now, so it's a good time to visit if you're quiet."

Silvershine nodded and headed into the nursery. Inside, Bluemist had just finished eating an herb of some sort. Her two tiny kits were curled up against her belly. Silvershine remembered when Tigerstripe's kits had looked like that when she had pulled Flavorkit, at that time Dawnkit, out of her mother when she got stuck.

"Hello, Silvershine," Bluemist mewed a quiet greeting.

"Hi," Silvershine kept it short so as not to wake the kits. "How are you?"

"A little tired, but doing just fine, you?" Bluemist asked. "How's the prey running."

"It's not," Silvershine muttered. "Leaf-bare stinks like mouse bile."

Bluemist let out a _mrrow_ of amusement. "I wish I could help. Leaf bare is such a bad time to have kits."

"But if there's no kits in leaf bare, there'll be no apprentices in newleaf," Silvershine pointed out.

"This is true," Bluemist consented. "Someone has to do it. Now, on to the real reason you're here." She brushed her tail over her kits. One was a light orange tabby with a white underside and the other was a brown tabby.

"Hey, I wanted to see you too, you know," Silvershine said.

"It's fine," Bluemist said, "everyone wants to see the new kits. It's not that no one cares about me, but I know how this works already. I don't mind, they're beautiful kits, who wouldn't want to see them?"

_Most kits are beautiful_, Silvershine thought, knowing that that was the general compliment given to new queens, but she said nothing.

"So, this is the oldest, Pinkkit," Bluemist rested her tail on the orange tabby. "She was just a ball of pink fluff when she was born. She still sort of is too. And her little sister is Harekit."

"They're so cute," Silvershine purred.

Harekit's mouth stretched wide in a yawn which ended in a sneeze.

"Aww!" Silvershine purred.

Bluemist licked the tiny she-cat. "I just hope it's not an early sign of greencough."

"Does she sneeze a lot?" Silvershine asked.

"Well, sometimes it's a cough," Bluemist said, "but it doesn't happen a lot. Mostly when she yawns."

"What does Pepperface think?" Silvershine asked.

"She thinks it's cute," Bluemist replied. "Maybe I should call her 'Sneezekit.' She does check on Harekit once a day to make sure she doesn't develop anything, but she thinks it's nothing."

"Thank StarClan," Silvershine said. "She's a great medicine cat."

"StarClan has blessed us with her," Bluemist agreed. "It's a miracle in itself that she lived, or did she tell you?"

"No, she did," Silvershine replied, remembering the medicine cat's story of how she was practically dead at birth.

Pinkkit rolled over and yawned, but her yawn didn't end in a sneeze or cough, but in a mew though her little eyes stayed closed.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to wake her!" Silvershine said in a hushed mew.

"It's alright," Bluemist soothed. "She's just a kit, she'll sleep again soon and for most of the day."

"Well, I'd better go before I wake Harekit too," Silvershine started to back out. "They're really wonderful, even if they don't do anything yet."

"Just you wait, they'll be reeking havoc soon enough," Bluemist said.

"I don't know weather to be happy or scared," Silvershine joked.

"We'll see, won't we?" Bluemist asked.

Silvershine nodded and turned to leave, waving with her tail as she did. As she exited, she nearly ran head-first into Ashcloud who was coming in.

"Oh, sorry, Silvershine," Ashcloud exclaimed.

"Shhh!" Silvershine hissed, "Harekit's asleep."

"She is?" Ashcloud lowered his voice. "Good, she needs her rest."

"Don't tell me you're worried too," Bluemist said.

"I can't help but worry," Ashcloud replied. "What if she's getting Greencough? What if she gives it to Pinkkit and to you? What if it becomes Whitecough? What if…"

"Shhhh," Bluemist whispered. "Calm down. Everyone will be fine. She probably just swallowed some moss when she inhaled too deeply."

"Maybe," reluctance hung in Ashcloud's voice. Silvershine could understand his worry; losing any cat for any reason was bad, but a kit dying was the worst, especially one of your own. She took this opportunity to slip out of the den.

"There you are!" She was greeted almost instantly by Canyonleaf running up to her. "Where've you been? The patrol's waiting for you!"

"Oh, sorry," Silvershine apologized. "I was in the nursery."

"Again?" Canyonleaf groaned as they headed to the camp entrance. "Honestly, Silvershine, you spend so much time around kits some of us are starting to wonder if you're expecting your own."

"I do not," Silvershine protested, "the kits spend time around _me_."

"Whatever," Canyonleaf rolled her eyes.

"Finally," Tailwind, the leader of the patrol, exclaimed. "Now we can leave!"

Canyonleaf fell in step beside Adderfang, leaving Silvershine with no one to talk to. Dotpaw padded excitedly behind her mentor, Sparrowheart, and Mosspaw walked beside her.

It was decided that they would head to the RiverClan border first.

"Hey, Silvershine," Canyonleaf called back, startling Silvershine a bit, "speaking of the kits, you think you're gonna mentor one of them?"

"I dunno," Silvershine replied, casting a sidelong glace at Adderfang who had a look of disgust on his face, but remained silent. "Have I really been a warrior long enough?"

"I don't know," Canyonleaf replied. "But StarClan knows you're the best choice to mentor one, you've already bonded with the kits and they really look up to you."

"That's true…" Silvershine said, nervously. She didn't like being reminded of how Tigerstripe's kits looked up to her, since it put more pressure on her to be a good example. _And being a mentor would only be worse._

"I think young warriors make the best mentors," Canyonleaf went on. "They understand what it's like to be an apprentice and can get along better with younger cats. Not to mention they just finished their own training, so it's fresh in their mind. They know what to teach since they just learned it."

"Yea, but they lack the battle experience that a true warrior needs," Adderfang spoke up. "An apprentice being trained by such a young warrior is missing out on that."

"_You_ were trained by a young warrior," Canyonleaf pointed out. "Rainfall wasn't much older than us when you became his apprentice."

"I know," Adderfang grumbled. "I was his first apprentice and he didn't have a clue what to do at first!"

"Hey, someone's gotta be the first apprentice, right?" Silvershine asked.

Adderfang just frowned.

"So it's not that hard to picture you being a mentor," Canyonleaf said. "Hey, maybe I can mentor one too!"

"If they're given to young warriors you can bet it'll only be one," Adderfang said. "Stormstar wouldn't have all _three_ of them be the first apprentices of young warriors. There's only hope for one of us to mentor a kit."

"Do _you_ wanna mentor a kit?" Silvershine asked, hoping to have as little competition as possible if this was true.

"I'll do whatever Stormstar says," Adderfang replied. "But honestly, not really. I'd rather focus on being a warrior first to get the experience to properly mentor a great warrior."

"Gotta be one before you can train one," Canyonleaf agreed. "But it doesn't really look like there's much going on."

"There hasn't been much going on for _moons_!" Adderfang exclaimed, "we're overdue for large-scale war!"

Silvershine flinched at the mention of war. She hoped Adderfang was wrong, but in her heart she knew that there couldn't be peace forever.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silvershine tossed and turned in her in her nest. She couldn't manage to get to sleep. She felt like there was water leaking into her nest, but it wasn't raining. Still, her fur grew gradually more wet as she moved and the rustling of grasses was accompanied by a squishing sound. Unable to put up with it any longer, Silvershine sat bolt upright, claws digging into the sodden ground beneath her. As her eyes flew open, she looked around in shock. She wasn't in the warrior's den anymore but in a thick patch of reeds. When she peered through them, she could see a bunch of cats curled up, but they were larger than her Clanmates. A scent suddenly flooded over her in such a massive cloud that she wrinkled her nose against it.

"RiverClan! How'd I end up in RiverClan?!" She whispered to herself, but immediately slapped her tail over her lips. The RiverClan cats remained asleep, not showing any indication that they had heard her. Silvershine breathed a sigh of relief, but then tensed up again as a movement caught her eye.

A starry cat was making its way through the sleeping cats. Her white pelt shimmered brightly in the dim light. Silvershine recognized her mother instantly, but didn't call out to her for fear of waking the other cats. Moonsong padded up to a pair of cats sleeping close to each other. Silvershine had seen them before at the border. _On the evening patrol, actually._ She was fairly certain they were mates.

Moonsong prodded the tom in the side until, with a moan, he woke up.

"I'm not on the dawn patrol," he yawned, not yet opening his eyes.

"It's not dawn yet anyway, you stupid furball," Moonsong meowed.

The tom's eyes flew open and he stared at the starry warrior in awe. "M…Moonsong?!"

Moonsong nodded.

"Wh…what happened to you?!" the tom leapt up, not even disturbing his mate. Silvershine realized this must all be a dream that only the three of them were involved in.

"Oh, I'm glad to know you care!" Moonsong spat.

"Of course I care!" the tom protested. "I've always cared! What happened? Where did you go?!"

"_You_ happened!" Moonsong shouted. "Thanks to you, I was discovered to have your kit, and banished from my Clan! And did you even bother to look for me? No!"

_Rockstripe!_ Silvershine suddenly realized the identity of this RiverClan warrior.

"Wh…what did you expect me to do?" Rockstripe asked. "I…I had no idea what was going on in WindClan. Did you want me to go and ask what happened to you? Do they even know?"

"No," Moonsong replied, "I wouldn't tell them. That's probably part of the reason I was banished."

"So then….how did you…." Rockstripe couldn't bare to say it.

"Die?" Moonsong finished for him. "What's it matter to you? You've forgotten all about me!"

"What?!" Rockstripe exclaimed. "No I haven't! I could never have forgotten about you! How could you even think that!?"

Moonsong did not meet his eyes, instead she looked down at the light orange she-cat that slept beside him.

"So I take it you found out about Peachfern," Rockstripe said.

Moonsong only glared at him. "How could you?"

"W…well, she liked _me!_" Rockstripe protested. "What _could_ I have done? I mean, there's nothing wrong with her, she's a nice cat. I've got no problem taking her as a mate. The only thing standing in my way was…love. I loved another cat."

"So you just threw that love away," Moonsong spat. "You disgust me!"

"No!" Rockstripe exclaimed. "I never stopped loving you! I still love you! And if I could, I would be with you. But…I couldn't tell her that. What could I have said to her 'I'm in love with a cat from another Clan'? You know I can't say that! And you can't expect me to!"

Moonsong turned away. "And you had a kit."

_A kit?!_ Silvershine thought. _I have a brother or sister?! Who? What apprentices are in RiverClan? What cat was…Scratchpaw._

"Again, what else could I do?" Rockstripe asked. "She is my mate after all. I'll admit that I do love her," this received a snort from Moonsong, "but I love you more."

"You can't love two cats any more than you can live in two Clans!" Moonsong snapped. "You have to choose!"

"Choose what?!" Rockstripe asked. "My living mate or my dead love? Moonsong, you're wonderful, but that's not much of a choice. Knowing that you're dead, I know I made the right choice."

Moonsong's eyes burned with rage as she turned back to her lover. "Oh, so you were just waiting for me to _die_ so that you could be free to take another mate! I see how it is! You're nothing more than a scrap of crowfood! I can't believe I ever loved you!"

"That's not fair!" Silvershine shouted, leaping from her cover.

"Silvershine!" Moonsong exclaimed.

"Wh…who's that?" Rockstripe asked.

"Moonsong, you can't expect Rockstripe to give up on love just because you two can't be together," Silvershine said.

"I can expect him to be faithful!" Moonsong protested.

"Um, who are you?" Rockstripe asked Silvershine.

"No you can't!" Silvershine spat, ignoring her father. "Your love was never meant to be, StarClan doomed it from the start!"

"StarClan can drink mousebile for all I care!" Moonsong hissed. "They set up these mouse-brained rules about Clans anyway when they were alive! And they wanted to take you from me!"

"Take her?" Rockstripe asked, "from you?"

"StarClan doesn't control everything!" Silvershine spat. "That was an accident! And it's beside the point anyway! You should be happy for Rockstripe's sake!"

"How'd you know my name?" Rockstripe asked.

"Happy that he's abandoned me?!" Moonsong demanded.

"Happy that he's moved on!" Silvershine snapped. "Happy that he's not waiting for a cat that'll never come back to him. Happy that he's happy, that he has a mate and a kit."

"He already had that!" Moonsong retorted. "He had us, but he wasn't content with that were you?!"

"Now hold on," Rockstripe said, "what is going on here anyway?!"

"You know what, maybe he wasn't!" Silvershine interrupted. "Maybe he wasn't content with breaking the warrior code! Maybe he didn't want a kit that should never have been born! Maybe he realized he was making a big mistake!"

"Mistake's been made!" Moonsong snapped. "He can't take it back. Do you want him to anyway?"

"I should've died anyway!" Silvershine spat. "StarClan was punishing you, I'll bet! You can't have your mate, you can't have your Clan and you can't have your kit!"

"Your kit?" Rockstripe asked. "Are you…?"

"StarClan is fox-hearted!" Moonsong snapped. "What did I do wrong anyway?! How can you outlaw love? Why are we even _in_ Clans?!"

"How the heck should I know?!" Silvershine spat. "But it's a _little_ late to question that, don't ya think?!"

"Can I say something, please?" Rockstripe asked.

"No!" Moonsong spat.

"Sure," Silvershine said.

"No, he can't," Moonsong said. "This doesn't concern him!"

"It's _about_ him!" Silvershine shouted. "How can it _not_ be about him?! Moonsong, you're not making any sense anymore!"

"Is that anyway to talk to your mother?!" Moonsong demanded.

"So she _is_…" Rockstripe began.

"I don't care!" Silvershine spat. "It's the truth! And if I can't tell you the truth, who will?!"

"I could try," Rockstripe took a step forward so he stood between them. "Moonsong, you're not being fair."

"Don't talk to _me_ about fair!" Moonsong spat. "You-"

Rockstripe covered her mouth with his tail. "To tell you the truth, right now you're making yourself look really bad and making Peachfern look better. I will admit you said one thing right, I can't love two cats. If I try to love both of you, I won't love either of you the way you disserve to be loved. Moonsong, I'm sorry, but our daughter's right. This was wrong, and it was never meant to be. I'm so sorry for all the trouble I've cause you, and if I could take it back, I would. But what's done is done. I'm sorry, but I _can't_ love you anymore." He turned his back to the two she-cats and lowered his tail from Moonsong's mouth which was now agape with shock.

"S…so, that's it?" Moonsong asked. "It's over? You've chosen her instead?"

"Moonsong, it was over before it began," Rockstripe said, "and I'm a fool to have not seen that. I have already chosen Peachfern and I can't take that back either. This is goodbye."

"Alright, then," Moonsong lowered her head, but Silvershine could see that her eyes were clouded with grief. "Goodbye."

The scene before Silvershine began to blur and blew away like dust on the breeze, returning her to darkness and sleep in her own nest in the WindClan warrior's den.


	5. Chapter 4

Silvershine's paws landed on empty earth. The mouse that was her target scurried away across the ThunderClan border and out of sight. "Mousedung!" Silvershine spat. "WindClan needed that mouse!"

"ThunderClan needs it more," came a mew from the undergrowth where the mouse had fled to.

Silvershine recognized it immediately. "Racconpaw? What're you doing out of camp? Aren't you in trouble?"

"Mudstar's been sending out more hunting patrols this moon," Raccoonpaw said, emerging from the undergrowth with the mouse dangling in his jaws. He dropped it at his paws to speak more clearly. "ThunderClan's really low on fresh-kill."

Silvershine looked Raccoonpaw over. He did look thinner than usual, although not enough to suggest that the whole Clan was low on prey. His pelt was dull, evidence to the fact that he wasn't getting enough food, or perhaps not the right food.

"The others are worse than me," Raccoonpaw said, noticing Silvershine's disbelief as she looked at him. "I've actually been coming out here to eat berries and herbs. Since I had some medicine cat training, I know what's safe to eat. But it's horrible back at camp! The foxes in our territory are taking all the prey! We might not make it through Leafbare!"

Silvershine hadn't come to see Raccoonpaw as a liar, but the evidence just wasn't there. And why would he lie about the Clan in a bad way? Didn't he know never to tell a cat of a rival Clan that your Clan's doing poorly. "Raccoonpaw, I…I'm having a little trouble believing you…You don't look all that thin…"

"Well…I've been sneaking out to do some extra hunting…since Mudstar hasn't let me out of camp yet," Raccoonpaw said, "which is stupid! She needs my help! She needs all her clanmates hunting day and night if we're gonna get through this! So, I hunt, and find one of the other apprentices out on patrol and give them the fresh-kill to take back. But, I keep something little for myself."

"Raccoonpaw!" Silvershine exclaimed. "The Clan has to be fed first! You can't do that!"

"I caught it!" Raccoonpaw protested. "And besides, I bring it back to camp to eat it. So it's not like I'm eating more than I would anyway. I…I just think since Mudstar's really stressed out about this, she's even more mad at me than she should be. So, I really don't want to be stuck in camp and still eating the Clan's prey. So I get my own."

"I understand your logic," Silvershine said, "but it's against the warrior code. And your clanmates 'll soon realize you've had more prey than them and you'll suffer from it."

"I'm telling you I scented something this way," came a grumpy meow.

"Well shut your yap or you'll scare it," another cat hissed.

Raccoonpaw darted away, ducking into the undergrowth. Before Silvershine could even think of what to do two young toms emerged from the trees. They were both tabbies, one golden the other brown.

"Hey!" the brown one yowled as he spotted Silvershine. "What are you doing here?!"

"I'm on the WindClan side," Silvershine replied as they approached. "Nothing wrong with it, and I'm just hunting here on the off-chance that I can catch a mouse or something that strays across the border."

"More like _you'll_ stray across the border!" the brown tom hissed.

"And what are _you_ two doing here?" Silvershine asked.

"Hunting," the golden tom sounded exhausted. Silvershine gasped as she noticed their appearance for the first time. Their pelts clung to their side and their ribs could be seen through them. Their pelts had lost almost all their gloss and were unkept. The golden tom's eyes were dull and Silvershine thought she saw something glisten under his nose.

"Hey, what's this?!" the brown tom sniffed the mouse Raccoonpaw had caught. "Looks like you crossed the border, stole some of our prey and then got scared when you heard us coming and hurried back across."

"Can you smell my scent, or any WindClan scent, on your side?" Silvershine challenged.

The brown tom sniffed around while the golden tom sat down, apparently not caring about what was going on. "No, I guess you're right," the brown tom replied. "And there's no WindClan scent on the mouse either. Sorry…. But, we're still taking it back to camp! C'mon Lightningstreak."

"Coming," Lightningstreak moaned, picking himself up off the ground.

Silvershine watched them go, a sense of pity stirring in her heart towards them. "Wow, you were right," she said, once they were out of sight.

"I know," Raccoonpaw sighed, emerging from cover. "This is just so terrible! I can't just sit back and do nothing! I need my own prey so I can help the Clan better! A weak cat can't do much. Rainflower's been feeding us all traveling herbs so we still have the strength to hunt, but her stores are getting low, and finding them in Leafbare is next to impossible. Not to mention the first frost is on its way. I'm sure WindClan has felt the chill. Mudstar is so worried too! Cats are coming in from hunting patrols and then going right back out on them. We only have one border patrol a day so that way we can have more hunting patrols. But the foxes are eating all our prey, and we're too busy trying to scrape up scraps to even look for them. And I don't think we're even strong enough to chase them out if we _did_ find them! And with no border patrols and almost no cats in the camp at once, Mudstar's really worried we'll get attacked! If only we could get rid of the foxes, that would solve everything. If something doesn't get done soon, ThunderClan may be wiped out one way or another. What if the foxes find our camp!? We'd be doomed!"

"We can't let that happen!" Silvershine exclaimed. "I'm sure none of the leaders want ThunderClan wiped out for good. There have always been 4 Clans, at least from what I've heard. StarClan can't want this! What does Rainflower say?"

"StarClan's been silent," Raccoonpaw said, "at least that's what she says when Mudstar asks."

"If it's really that bad, Mudstar should have asked for help at the Gathering," Silvershine said. "Or should ask for help at the next one."

"Mudstar would _never_ admit to any weakness in her Clan," Racconpaw said. "I've heard Tigonheart talking and he says he's suggested to her already that she should ask for help at the next Gathering, but Mudstar continuously refuses. She says that if any of the leaders knew about this, they'd send patrols; not to help but to attack us!"

"That's mousedung!" Silvershine said. "No leader would take advantage of you guys. Lillystar seems _really_ nice, too nice actually. I'm sure she'd help out."

"Yea, one problem," Raccoonpaw muttered, "she's across the lake! Our help has to come from WindClan or ShadowClan, and ShadowClan's not exactly friendly."

"Phantomstar's a reasonable cat," Silvershine said. "I _know_ he'd help you. I'll bet his warriors are just _itching_ for a fight, and if they can direct it at the foxes…." _We're overdue for a large-scale war!_ Adderfang's words were so clear in her head, Silvershine thought for a heartbeat that Raccoonpaw could hear them too. "Come to think of it, we've got battle-ready warriors who'd love to sharpen their claws on a fox's pelt!"

"But after what happened last moon?" Racconpaw asked.

"Stormstar wasn't that mad," Silvershine said. "I talked to Snowsoot about it, since it was really my fault. She said Stormstar was madder at her for not telling him than he was at any of us for helping you. Stormstar's a nice and reasonable cat. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to help!"

"You're not gonna tell him, are you?" Raccoonpaw asked.

"Why? What's wrong?" Silvershine asked.

"I'm not supposed to be out of camp or talking to you or telling you ThunderClan's problems," Raccoonpaw said. "If you tell Stormstar I told you, it'll find its way to Mudstar and she'll skin me alive!"

"No problem," Silvershine said, "I'll just make sure not to tell him you told me."

"Well….alright," Raccoonpaw said, nervously. "I guess I shouldn't try and stop you from helping us. I just get the feeling I'm doing something wrong….I don't like that feeling."

"It's alright," Silvershine sympathized. "You're actually doing what's best for your Clan, I just wish Mudstar could see that. Hopefully we can just come in, chase off the foxes, and leave. That way we won't have to deal with Mudstar and she'll never know we were here."

"But your scent," Raccoonpaw protested. "She'll find your scent and know you crossed the border."

"I think it's gonna rain," Silvershine looked up at the dark clouds rolling across the sky, "so our scent will be washed away before the _one_ border patrol gets here."

"I guess you're right," Racconpaw said, a light of hope glimmering in his eyes.

"Trust me," Silvershine said, "everything will work out."

"Alright," Raccoonpaw said. "I gotta get back to camp before Mudstar finds out I'm gone."

"And I gotta hurry up and tell Stormstar before it rains," Silvershine turned around and crouched, ready to run.

"Bye," Raccoonpaw waved his tail as he turned back to his own territory.

"Bye," Silvershine waved as well then, with a flying leap, took off across the moor towards the WindClan camp. She didn't meet any of her clanmates along the way; the patrol had been spread thin to cover more of the moor. She glanced up at the sky as she ran. The dark clouds, heavy with rain, stretched across the sky, chasing her like enemy warriors. A clap of thunder boomed from the black mass causing Silvershine to jump, but not falter.

She skidded down the slope that led to the camp entrance and padded in as if nothing were wrong. She looked around the camp hoping no cat would question why she was back without the rest of the patrol or fresh-kill. Fortunately the Clan had taken shelter from the coming storm and the clearing was empty. Silvershine headed straight into Stormstar's den. "It's Silvershine," she announced as she made her way through the tunnel into the leader's den.

"Come in," Stormstar's reply was unnecessary as Silvershine was already in the den before he finished it.

_I wasn't expecting her to be in here_, Silvershine thought, looking with distress at the leader's mate. "Well, you won't take this the wrong way, so I guess there's no harm in you being here."

"What is it, Silvershine?" Graymist asked.

"I was hunting over by the ThunderClan border," at the mention of their neighbors, Stormstar's expression turned grim, "and I saw two ThunderClan warriors. They were really thin and their coats were unkept. They were complaining back and forth, and I think one had a cold, or maybe greencough. They were saying how the foxes in their territory have taken almost all the prey, and when prey is scarce as it is. All their efforts are put towards hunting; there's no border patrols and practically no one at camp. They're starving!"

"And they just _told_ you this?" Stormstar asked, skeptically.

"No," Silvershine said, "I overheard them. They had no idea I was there. It was at the border, my scent blended with the border markers."

"Seems careless to be discussing their Clan's problems at the border," Graymist said.

"Never said ThunderClan cats are smart," Silvershine said. "They're definitely not; Mudstar refuses to ask for help."

"So you expect me to give it anyway?" Stormstar asked.

"Um…yea," Silvershine's hopes suddenly sank after hearing his tone. "All we gotta do is chase off the foxes. Then let everything progress naturally. It's gonna rain soon, so our scent will be washed away."

"Silvershine," Graymist sounded sympathetic. "Prey won't return until at least Newleaf. And if it's as bad as you say, there may not be enough prey to procreate."

"Huh?" Silvershine asked.

"She means there won't be enough prey to have young," Stormstar said, "although I don't think that's entirely true. ThunderClan's territory is home to many birds, more birds will come regardless of what we do."

"Are you saying you won't help?!" Silvershine demanded.

"I see no reason to," Stormstar replied. "Mudstar has been less than friendly in recent moons. Why should I help her?"

"Because it's the right thing to do!" Silvershine insisted. "If we don't do something ThunderClan may be wiped out for good!"

"Silvershine, I think you're overreacting," Graymist said. "ThunderClan will survive. StarClan is punishing them for being so pushy."

"Although I doubt they'll realize it," Stormstar flicked his tail in annoyance.

Graymist looked at her mate with a worried expression. Stormstar glanced at her, but then turned away.

"So we're just gonna do nothing?!" Silvershine demanded.

"No," Stormstar replied. "This information needs to be acted upon."

"Stormstar, you wouldn't!" Graymist exclaimed.

"I'm considering it," Stormstar said.

"They haven't done anything to seriously disserve us attacking their camp when they're so weak," Graymist insisted.

"WHAT?!" Silvershine exclaimed. "Stormstar, you can't _really_ be thinking that, can you?"

"Indeed I am," Stormstar said. "And I'm sure most of my Clan will agree with me."

"Most of the Clan is mouse-brained!" Silvershine spat. "They'll attack anything that moves so long as it can't fight back! That's not strength!"

"But Mudstar must be taught a lesson," Stormstar said. "And this may be StarClan giving us that opportunity."

"There's no way this is the will of StarClan!" Silvershine cried.

"We'll see," Stormstar stood up.

"Where are you going?" Silvershine asked.

"To see what my Clan thinks," Stormstar replied, brushing past her to exit the den.

Silvershine turned to Graymist. The she-cat's eyes reflected the fear and worry Silvershine felt. Neither of them wanted anything like this. Silvershine darted out of the den behind Stormstar and was shortly followed by Graymist.

Rain beat down, falling in sheets across the moorland. As soon as Silvershine poked her head out of the den, it was drenched. Each drop of water stung as it if was a claw made of ice. The clearing was empty; the whole Clan was taking shelter.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highrock for a Clan meeting!" Stormstar yowled the summon over the howl of the wind. His words were followed by a bolt of lightning streaking the sky, silhouetting the WindClan warrior. Thunder exploded from the clouds almost simultaneously.

Silvershine saw the forms of her Clanmates gathering inside their dens, but none ventured out. They all must have been confused at the thought that their leader could want them to come out into the open in this downpour.

Movement caught her eye and she could see a cat coming out of the warrior's den and towards the Highrock. As it neared, Silvershine could make out the red color of its pelt, made darker and plastered to the cats sides by the rain. Knowing there was no way out of this anymore, Silvershine padded out of Stormstar's den and stood beside her mentor.

Slowly, the rest of the Clan began to emerge and gathered together in the pouring rain.

"I have received word on the condition of ThunderClan," Stormstar began. "It seems they are weak, starving, and spread thinly in search of prey. This news cannot go unanswered. However, I have not decided on the action that should be taken. This crisis seems to be caused by an unusual amount of foxes in ThunderClan's territory. Now, we could help ThunderClan by chasing off as many foxes as we can, now, while the rain is here to wash away our scent."

Murmurs erupted from the gathered cats, almost all at once. Most of them were shocked and outraged. Silvershine could hear a lot of cats disagreeing and demanding a reason as to why they should help ThunderClan. Another burst of thunder quieted them before Stormstar had the chance to demand silence.

"The other option is to take advantage of this situation and attack," Stormstar went on. "I have no intention of driving them out of their territory or even killing any cat, but it seems Mudstar has forgotten her place, and someone must remind her of it."

Yowls of approval rang out over the camp, and no one seemed to disagree with this plan.

_ThunderClan hasn't done anything to make it worth defending,_ Silvershine realized. _Even cats who don't want war can't fine a reason not to start one._

"Then it's settled," Stormstar said. "Amberpelt, help me gather a patrol to attack. We're going to need most of the Clan, but we can't leave camp defenseless. If any cat wishes to stay behind, tell Amberpelt. We can only leave about a border patrol's worth, so whoever asks first will get to stay."

_No!_ Silvershine wanted to cry out, but fear kept her silent. _This can't be happening! We can't do this! We can't do this to ThunderClan! This isn't what was supposed to happen! What have I done!_


	6. Chapter 5

Heavy rain pummeled the windswept moorland. Dark clouds coated the sky, making it appear as dark as night even though it was barely sunset. Nearly all of WindClan streaked across their open territory, ignoring the less-than-favorable weather conditions. Excitement and anxiety crackled between them like the lightning overhead and rumbling thunder drowned out their battle-ready yowls.

Silvershine struggled to keep up in the back of the hoard of cats. Normally, she was one of the fastest cats in WindClan and would have no trouble keeping up, or even ahead, of them all. This time, though, the battering rains buffeting them on the wind slowed the entire Clan down. Most of the Clan was splattered with mud and their paws were like mud-covered stones dragging along.

Although Silvershine's soggy paws did weigh her down, she felt more like there were at least two heavy warriors on top of her, attempting to pin her down. She felt as though her heart were being ripped to shreds and when she called out inside of her for mother's comforting voice, only thunder outside responded.

Stormstar stopped abruptly and most of the Clan wondered why he had stopped. Silvershine pushed towards the front as the Clan gathered around to hear their leader over the wind and rain. When Silvershine got closer, she could faintly make out the scent of the ThunderClan border markers. They were fading and the rain was washing them away even more.

"You all know the plan," Stormstar said, "spread out into your patrols and ambush any hunting patrols that are out. Don't let them get back to the camp. If you find no patrols, come to the camp to back us up."

The Clan split up into various patrols of about 6 each. Stormstar led the main patrol of somewhere around 15 cats, Silvershine didn't feel like counting. This patrol was the one she was in; the one that would attack the camp. She had chosen to be on this patrol because she thought she would be more likely to find Brownpaw, Vinepaw, and Raccoonpaw at camp. _But what do I do when I find them?_ she thought, desperately. _How do I fix this? I can't go on ahead and warn ThunderClan, I'd be betraying my Clan and putting them at a disadvantage, not stopping the fight. If I warn my friends ahead of time, they might tell Mudstar. I gotta help them escape. But will they go? Would _I_ go if ThunderClan was attacking _my_ Clan?_

"Silvershine, keep up!" Amberpelt's yowl shattered her thoughts and she looked up to see the cats that she had been among gone and only her former mentor across the border calling back to her.

"Coming!" Silvershine leapt over the stream that marked the border.

"What's wrong with you?" Amberpelt asked, "are you sure you want to do this? Maybe you should go back to camp."

_I _have_ to do this,_ Silvershine thought, _this is _my_ fault. How mousebrained would it be for me to stay in camp for this? I have to come up with a way to stop this._

"Silvershine?" Amberpelt asked, tilting her head. "Seriously, what's wrong?"

Silvershine shook her head and allowed the shake to follow through her whole body, splattering droplets in all directions, as if it was noticeable in the downpour. "Yea, I'm fine. It's just this rain."

"Silvershine, it's O.K. to feel nervous about battles," Amberpelt said, "maybe even feel guilty."

"Yea, but wimping out and going back to camp is no way to get over it!" Silvershine said, fluffing up and digging her claws into the ground.

"My thoughts exactly," Amberpelt said, "now let's go!"

Silvershine exhaled and her fur laid flat. "If only it was that simple," she muttered. Still, she splashed through the puddles on the sodden earth in pursuit of her former mentor.

They caught up to the patrol and the Clan leader. They stood before a massive chasm in the ground. Most of the cats were looking down into it, while Stormstar looked back at Amberpelt and Silvershine, obviously waiting for them to catch up.

"Alright," Stormstar announced, not caring to keep his voice down since the thunder drowned most of it out, "ThunderClan's camp is well-protected by these walls, but if done right, these walls will work against them as well. Blackpaw, Blackfur."

The father and daughter pair made their way to the front of the patrol.

"Your dark pelts will hide you against the shadows of the surrounding trees and the shadows the clouds are making," Stormstar explained. "You will each go in one direction, circling the camp. Find anything that can be used as an entrance or exit."

The two black cats nodded affirmatively and darted off in opposite directions.

Silvershine shivered. She wanted to think it was only because of the cold rain and that the day was coming to an end, but she couldn't. The chill came from her heart as icy claws ripped through it. _This is my fault,_ she thought, _this is _really_ my fault. Any problems that come from this are totally my fault. It's because of me that this started. Me, I should have known! Why did I not realize that this would happen? Why did I think that _anyone_ would help ThunderClan after what's been happening?_

_Wrong_, the meow was harsh and made Silvershine jump. She looked around, but after thinking a moment, she recognized the voice and knew where it had to have come from.

_Moonsong help!_ Silvershine cried. _I've created another mess! It's so horrible! Why?! Why did this happen?!_

_Silvershine, I can't answer all your questions,_ Moonsong replied. _You need to learn to think for yourself._

_But I don't know!_ Silvershine wailed. _I don't know the answers!_

_You can figure out what you need to,_ Moonsong replied. _All I'm telling you is you're asking the wrong questions._

_What questions should I be asking?_ Silvershine asked.

_Also the wrong question_, Moonsong said.

_You're not being fair!_ Silvershine cried.

_Who says I have to be?_ Moonsong asked.

Silvershine yowled in frustration as another crack of thunder split the night air.

"Silvershine!" Amberpelt hissed.

Silvershine suddenly remembered that they were in enemy territory and her yowl may have endangered them.

"I don't think they heard," Stormstar said, "we were lucky the thunder came when it did. Any particular reason you almost gave us away?"

"I…I'm sorry," Silvershine cowered like a kit under her leader's angry glare. "I….I don't know what came over me."

"Do you need to be sent back to camp?" Stormstar asked.

"No, I'm fine!" Silvershine said.

Stormstar starred at her for a few more heartbeats. In the gloom, Silvershine thought she saw concern in his blue eyes, but he closed them and turned his attention back to the ThunderClan camp.

Blackpaw came bounding back, but her father was nowhere in sight.

"Blackpaw?" Stormstar asked.

"I found something," Blackpaw huffed, "besides the main entrance. Blackfur's there. But up around that way," she pointed with her tail, that was almost invisible in the dim light and the pouring rain that made seeing even harder, "there's a place where the slope isn't as steep. The edge too, is more gradual. Normally, it wouldn't be hard to get out from there, maybe even in. But of course the rain makes everything harder."

"We can use that," Stormstar said. "Featherdance, Whiptail, Sparrowheart, and Ashcloud, follow Blackpaw. Blackpaw show them where you found the entrance. You all are to sneak into ThunderClan camp and cause a disturbance. Hopefully that will draw the guard from the entrance. If not, we'll take him down and come in to back you up."

"Got it," Blackpaw nodded as the patrol formed behind her.

"Featherdance, you guard that exit," Stormstar said, "we don't want any cats escaping to get help."

"Of course," Featherdance nodded.

"Stay out of the nursery!" Stormstar demanded. "we're not hurting queens and kits. It'd be nice to let the elders be too."

The patrol nodded in agreement and Blackpaw led them back the way she had come.

"C'mon," Stormstar began padding around the perimeter of ThunderClan's camp. "We have to be at the entrance when panic breaks out."

The whole clan went around ThunderClan's camp, staying hidden in the trees, until they reached the thorn-covered opening that was the entrance. A white she-cat with blue-gray splotches stood guard at the entrance. She looked young, probably fresh out of the apprentice den. Silvershine saw a movement in the undergrowth across from them and, after focusing for several heartbeats, could make out the form of a black cat and knew it must be Blackfur.

"Should be easy," Stormstar muttered.

"Can I take her?" Icepaw hissed.

Silvershine shuddered and nearly jumped back when she saw the blue-gray apprentice beside her.

"It would be easier for Blackfur to attack her, that way it won't give away our position," Stormstar replied. "Don't worry, you'll get your chance to tear some ThunderClan pelts."

"That's what I'm hoping for," Icepaw's voice was low, but Silvershine could hear what she had said, although she doubted Stormstar had heard.

"Attack! We're under Attack!!!" The alarm call echoed off the walls of the ThunderClan camp.

The warrior on guard gasped, and turned and ran through the thorn tunnel to help her Clan, unaware that the attack was actually behind her.

"That was a stroke of luck," Canyonleaf said.

"Mousebrain," Adderfang spat. "Never leave your post!"

"Let's go!" Stormstar signaled the clan with both his tail and his voice and they raced out of the brush and flooded through the entrance to ThunderClan's camp.

The confusion inside was worse than anything Silvershine had ever seen, and was even worse than the confusion in her mind. Cats leapt at one another, digging tooth and claw into enemy pelts amidst the torrential downpour of rain. Some cats ran around frantically, trying to escape the madness, but there were not many of those.

"Hey, you got rocks for paws?!" Adderfang's harsh meow was the loudest of all, since he was fighting the cat who was on guard nearest her.

"Um, yea, sorry," Silvershine replied and bounded into the mass of chaos. Even in the gloom created by the clouds in the sky and the thick sheets of rain, the two Clans were easily distinguished. All the ThunderClan cats were distinctly thinner to the point where they were little more than pelts stretched thinly over bone. Silvershine shuddered to look at them. She couldn't bring herself to attack them in this state, this on top of the fact that this was all her fault.

A yowling battle cry behind her made Silvershine jump. Before she could turn to look, the weight of a full-grown cat landed on her shoulders. Her legs gave out from the impact and she landed with a thud. She immediately rolled over then leapt to her feet, away from her attacker. She panted heavily as the fighting instinct pulsed through her veins with blood scorched by the heat of battle. They took over and blinded her eyes. She saw past the dull tortoiseshell-and-white pelt that clung to the warrior's heaving sides. All she saw was a foe and not the condition. In her conscious mind, she forgot ThunderClan's problems and even why the issue had been brought up; all melted away like the rain dripping from her pelt.

Silvershine threw herself at the ThunderClan deputy, barely even realizing what cat she was up against. Tigonheart dodged to the side, but Silvershine had anticipated it. She reached out and hooked his back leg as she landed, setting him off balance just long enough to prevent a counter attack. As the tom steadied himself, Silvershine clamped down on his spotted tail. Tigonheart yowled in pain and whirled around to claw her sides. Silvershine, however was hoping for a reaction like that. As the tortoiseshell lunged, she stretched out her hind leg, landing a blow on his chin and causing Tigonheart to stagger back.

"I've heard the deputy is the best fighter in the Clan," Silvershine taunted, turning to face her foe. "If you truly are the best ThunderClan has, they'll be nothing but crowfood by moonhigh!"

Rage burned in Tigonheart's eyes, cutting through the rain and the dark. With a defiant yowl, the deputy lunged; his head-on charge was purely out of rage and his furious snarl proved that most of his wits had failed in all his desperation and fury.

Silvershine leapt up and landed her forepaws on his shoulders as he ran in. She brought her hind legs up and with all four paws, pushed off of him. The deputy collapsed from the force and Silvershine landed with a twist to admire her work.

Tigonheart pushed himself up out of the mud, glaring over his shoulder with pure hatred. Silvershine's confident smirk didn't seem to make matters any better. He rose to his paws and slowly turned, obviously prepping for another attack.

A furious yowl laced with pain rang out over the whole of camp and every cat turned to look. It had come from a hole in the stone walls where a ledge hung out over the whole clearing.

"Mudstar!" Tigonheart gasped. Despite his shortness of breath, he tore through the crowd of cats to reach the base of the ledge. Before he could make an attempt to climb the tumble of rocks that led up to it, a cat emerged from the darkness. At first, Silvershine couldn't make out who it was through the rain at her distance, but it obviously wasn't Mudstar, this cat definitely had a light-colored pelt.

"Cats of ThunderClan!" the yowl was definite, commanding, and brimming with confidence. Silvershine realized that it was Stormstar addressing them all, "most of you have guessed, but I have taken a life from Mudstar. It wasn't her last, but believe me, I will have no problem with ripping the rest of them from her, and perhaps from your deputy too." He looked down at where Tigonheart stood. Silvershine couldn't see his face, but she pictured it horror-stricken. "Let this be a lesson to you, remember your place in this forest! There have always been 4 Clans living here, and I would hate to be the one to change that," he hung his head at the suggestion of ThunderClan being completely wiped out, "but I will not hesitate to do so if need be." He looked up, still in a hunched position. Silvershine could hear the sureness in his voice, it was not only a threat, but a challenge to test his word.

"Cats of my Clan," Stormstar went on, raising his head to be heard, "we are returning to Camp; ThunderClan has suffered enough damage. The punishment has been administered." With that, he leapt down the tumble of rocks and proceeded to lead his Clan across the clearing and out of the camp.

The rain began to let up as they crossed the border into their own territory. Silvershine trudged on, her eyes wide and focused on nothing. Since they had left the camp, reality slowly had been creeping back up on her. Mudstar had lost a life, StarClan only knew how many more she had. She suddenly began to remember how weak the whole Clan had been, and remembered how she had tormented Tigonheart when he was obviously struggling to watch his Clanmates go through what they had when Mudstar refused to do what was right.

_That's twice now I've caused something terrible to happen,_ Silvershine thought. _Is this part of Clan life? Is it supposed to be like this? If not, then how long will this last?_


	7. Chapter 6

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" the usual summon drifted into the Warrior's den. When it reached Silvershine's ear, her ear twitched, as if trying to shoo away the disturbance to her sleep.

Her jaws stretched wide in a massive yawn, almost against her will. She got up and arched her back in a lazy stretch before slowly her eyes and looked to the den entrance. Warm sunlight was streaming into the den making Silvershine gasp.

"Is it sunhigh already?!" she cried. "I slept until sunhigh?! Why did no one wake me?! What about hunting patrols?!" She looked frantically around the den, but all the nests were empty. All the other cats had left already. With a snort of displeasure, Silvershine padded out of the den, wincing against the sun's bright rays. She shivered as she crossed the clearing; a cold wind was blowing over the moor.

"What's going on?" she sat beside Canyonleaf, wrapping her tail around her paws. "Why didn't anyone wake me sooner?"

"There was no reason to," Canyonleaf replied.

"Amberpelt hasn't allowed any hunting patrols to go out," Adderfang huffed. "Everyone's been confined to camp."

"Except the dawn patrol," Canyonleaf pointed out, "they just got back. Stormstar must've wanted everyone to be here for this."

"Wonder what this could be about," Silvershine muttered, although an aching pain in her heart told her it must be about the terrible events of the night before.

"I have heard quite a lot of talk around camp this morning about the battle last night," Stormstar began, "it did us good to teach a lesson to those who needed it. But don't get carried away. We are not at war with ThunderClan, at least I don't want to be. Hopefully this has taught them that they do not have a right to do as they please. I do not want any squabbles on the border unless someone has crossed them. That being said, I must know one thing. Be honest with this, if I hear different from Mudstar at the gathering, you'll all be pelt-less for Leafbare. Were any cats killed?"

"They shoulda been," Adderfang muttered, but other than that and a few other mumblings, no one spoke up.

"Good," Stormstar nodded approvingly.

"Why is he concerned with them?" Canyonleaf asked, almost sounding like her brother with the scorn in her meow.

"Sounds like he thinks there should be a really good reason to kill another cat," Silvershine said. "Something bigger than border skirmishes and stolen prey." _That's why he wanted to be sure no one was missing from camp._

"Now that that's settled," Stormstar went on, "I have good news, after that battle, one of our apprentices has proved she has waited long enough to be a warrior."

Silvershine's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. _Icepaw?! No! Not Icepaw! She can't be a warrior! We can't share the same den again! Things have just started to get better! I can't go back to the way it was! Not now, not ever!_

"Blackpaw," Stormstar said before climbing down from the highrock to meet the black she-cat as she approached the base.

Silvershine exhaled so loudly, Canyonleaf looked at her strangely. Her ears hot with embarrassment, Silvershine hunched low, but Canyonleaf's brother hadn't heard.

"I, Stormstar, leader of WindClan call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice," Stormstar began the ceremony. "She has trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as warriors in her turn. Blackpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Blackpaw nodded solemnly.

"Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior name," Stormstar continued, "Blackpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Blackflower. StarClan acknowledges your loyalty and we welcome you as a warrior of WindClan." He rested his nose on Blackflower's head and Blackflower licked his shoulder.

"Blackflower! Blackflower!" the cats all cheered, gathering around to congratulate her, assuming that this was the end of the meeting.

Silvershine hung back, not wanting to remind the new warrior of her existence. Things had been uneventful between her and her enemies of the apprentice den. Without Icepaw always there, the effort to torment Silvershine fell apart. Silvershine hoped that Blackflower couldn't command the same respect as Icepaw and reassemble her clanmates against the rogue.

_But I'm not a rogue,_ Silvershine thought, confidently. _I'm half WindClan! It's in my blood! Everything they'd said before is a load of foxdung._

"Wow, a new warrior," the little mew beside Silvershine made her jump.

"Flavorkit!" Silvershine exclaimed, "where did you come from?"

"From my mommy," Flavorkit replied, "weren't you there?"

"That's not what I meant," Silvershine replied, dryly.

"There'll be another ceremony in two days!" Flavorkit exclaimed.

"Only two more days?!" Silvershine exclaimed. "Really?"

"Yep, the half moon," Flavorkit said. "We were born on a half moon and we'll be made apprentices on the half moon."

"Shame I won't get to mentor you," Blackflower's smug meow made Silvershine jump.

"Hi, Blackflower," Silvershine said, forcing her fur to lie flat. "C….co…congrat-"

"I don't need the praise of a _rogue_," Blackflower hissed.

"Didn't you get the message?" Silvershine spat back, "I'm at least half WindClan! I have a right to be here."

"You have about as much right to be here as the fresh-kill," Blackflower growled, "and that's cause you were dragged here by one of our warriors, just like they were!"

"I've more than earned my place in this Clan!" Silvershine snarled, her fur beginning to bristle.

"You've done nothing but cause trouble, and you know it's true!" Blackflower hissed.

Silvershine recoiled back, but still bristled. _Does she know that battle was my fault too? Does she know about the last skirmish with ThunderClan being my fault? Does she really know what trouble I've caused?_

Blackflower grinned smugly at Silvershine's lack of a reply.

"Saving my life wasn't trouble!" Flavorkit piped up.

"That's debatable," Blackflower growled, but the kit hadn't heard.

"I'll admit I've caused some problems," Silvershine said, "but to say I've done _nothing_ but cause trouble it a bit extreme, extremely _wrong!_"

"Seems like Adderfang and Bitterclaw have abandoned our cause," Blackflower muttered, although she didn't seem to care if Silvershine heard or not.

Silvershine tilted her head in question, but refused to show interest in what her old enemy was talking about.

"Without anyone to keep on you, you've gotten a load of foxdung in that tiny rogue mind of yours," Blackflower went on.

Silvershine's claws shot out of the sheaths and tore into the ground, churning it in frustration. She drew her lips back in a furious snarl and her fur fluffed up to twice her size. She was so overcome with fury she couldn't even refute what Blackflower had said.

"And now you're going to try to fight me?" Blackflower said with mock surprise. "It's worse than I thought, you actually think you stand a chance against a _real_ warrior."

"You've been a warrior for a whole of 10 heartbeats!" Silvershine spat. "I could rip you to shreds if I wanted to."

"I'd like to see you try," Blackflower taunted, narrowing her eyes. She did not even take up a defensive position, but simply sat there, tail wrapped around her paws. Her confidence made Silvershine fume all the more. "You'll get nowhere if your claws have dulled as much as your mind has."

Without even a second thought, Silvershine threw herself at the new warrior, claws outstretched to rake across Blackflower's muzzle. No sooner had she pounced that she felt herself crash to the ground with the weight of another cat on top of her. Claws pierced into her side as the apprentice sitting on her unsheathed her claws.

"You're slipping up, rogue," Icepaw hissed with a chilly venom in her tone that made Silvershine shudder.

"What's going on here?" Stormstar's voice made Silvershine jump and she looked around to see most of the Clan staring at her.

"Long story," Silvershine muttered. She coughed as Icepaw leapt off her, purposefully pushing down harder before her launch.

"I've got time," Stormstar sat down and wrapped his tail around his paws.

"Does it have to be here?" Silvershine got up and hunched her shoulders under the gaze of her Clanmates.

"Icepaw was only defending me," Blackflower said, "not that I couldn't take her."

"And why did you strike?" Stormstar asked Silvershine. His tone was scolding, but Silvershine was sure he knew she had been provoked.

"Blackflower was just being a mousebrain," Silvershine grumbled, her anger still seething. She heard Blackflower's annoyed growl, but ignored it.

"Would you care to be more specific?" Stormstar prompted.

"No," Silvershine replied simply. "I did overreact, and I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't," Stormstar said sternly. "That goes for all of you involved. You're all to blame, even you Icepaw."

"Yes, Stormstar," Icepaw said in such an agreeing tone that Silvershine blinked in shock. She almost sounded sincere, but Silvershine knew better.

"C'mon, we need to start training anyway," Frostfall said, stepping forward to stand behind Icepaw. "Sparrowheart, you said you were coming?"

"R…right!" Sparrowheart was suddenly at attention. "I'll go see if Dotpaw's ready."

With a heavy sigh, Silvershine padded off away from where the incident had happened. Somehow she didn't think getting out of it would be that easy.

"Now _that's_ what I'm talkin' about!" Patchkit exclaimed, bounding to Silvershine's side with his littermates not far behind. "Real warrior instincts! You don't take that kind of foxdung from anyone!"

"Patchkit, I got in _trouble_," Silvershine said. "What I did was _wrong_."

"Was not," Patchkit said. "What you did was awesome! She disserved it anyway!"

"You heard what she said?" Silvershine asked. _I wonder who else had heard? Maybe Icepaw and Blackflower will be busted before they start._

"Flavorkit told us," Sunkit said. "At least she said Blackflower was being mean. She didn't say _exactly_ what she said."

"Well still, you can't claw the face off of anyone who says mean things," Silvershine scolded.

"Yea, that's what _rogues_ do," Icepaw sneered as she walked past.

"I'm not a rogue," Silvershine snapped. "I have WindClan blood!"

"Only some," Icepaw said. "What's the rest?"

"RiverClan," Silvershine muttered, but wasn't so sure she wanted to speak it aloud. How would she explain knowing that anyway? Icepaw wouldn't believe her mother had actually spoken to her.

"I don't get what's so special about being Clanborn," Patchkit said.

"Me neither," Silvershine said, "but apparently it's important to WindClan."

"Well when _I'm_ leader, that'll be the first thing to go," Patchkit said.

"Isn't it a little soon to be thinking about being leader?" Silvershine asked.

"It's never too soon!" Patchkit said. "Besides, Stormstar has so many lives, by the time he loses his last, I'll be deputy."

"I don't think he'll live _that_ long," Sunkit said.

"You saying I won't become deputy?!" Patchkit snarled.

"For you to be deputy, Amberpelt would have to die," Flavorkit said.

"And nobody wants that," Silvershine said.

"Oh yea…." Patchkit was suddenly dejected.

"Silvershine!" Echobound called, coming over to join them with Orangepaw close behind, "wanna go on a hunting patrol? Redeye's leading one and asked me to ask you."

"Sure, I need to get out of camp," Silvershine said, "it's past Sunhigh and I haven't done _anything_."

"I know, right?" Echobound said. "I feel so useless, I've gotta do something."

"I'll see you guys later," Silvershine said to the kits.

"Like at our apprentice ceremony!" Patchkit called as Silvershine turned to leave.

"You think Stormstar will let me mentor one of them?" Silvershine asked. "How did you get to mentor Orangepaw?"

"Well, Rainfall had an apprentice before me," Echobound pointed out, "Stormstar might have thought he owed me a chance to be a mentor. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll make a great mentor. And all the kits like you. Stormstar would be mousebrained to not pick you."

"Yea, you're right," Silvershine said.


	8. Chapter 7

_No no, not now!_ Despite her silent pleas, Silvershine couldn't stop it from coming on and gave in. She sneezed, possibly the loudest she'd ever sneezed. The mouse in front of her scurried away into what remained of a gorse bush and was lost to her.

"Mousedung," she spat.

"You alright?" Graymist bounded over a hill and was beside Silvershine in an instant.

"Yea, fine," Silvershine sniffed, drawing the mucus that hadn't escaped back into her nose. "I sneezed and scared away a mouse."

"Go back to camp right away," Graymist said. "Get Pepperface to give you something for that."

"Graymist, I'm fine," Silvershine protested. "Anyway, I can't afford to go back, we need all the hunters we can get."

"We'd be even worse off if one of those hunters got greencough or worse," Graymist scolded. "Now is not the time to be careless."

"I'll get some when we all go back," Silvershine insisted. "It's not that bad."

"I'll walk you back," Graymist said.

"Nevermind," Silvershine grumbled, "I can go alone."

Triumph glittered in Graymist's eyes as she watched Silvershine go back.

"For StarClan's sake, you'd think I was her kit," Silvershine muttered. _Still, at least there's someone who cares. I guess with no mother of my own I can't complain._

She stepped through the gorse tunnel and shook herself as she entered the camp. Cats were bustling around with brambles and gorse and what remained of plants. They patched up any holes in the wall in an attempt to keep the wind out. Silvershine made her way to Pepperface's den.

"Hey, Pepperface, I need something for…" She trailed off as she noticed the medicine cat was not in. "Pepperface?"

Another cat suddenly bowled into her from behind, and the two of them toppled to the ground.

"Silvershine!" it was Pepperface. "I didn't see you there. What's wrong?! Is everyone alright!? Is it greencough?! Don't say it's greencough!"

"Are you alright?" Silvershine asked, getting up and backing away. The medicine cat was in a slight state of panic and her fur was a bit messy, probably from squeezing through entrances too fast.

"Nevermind about me," Pepperface spat out, "why are you here?"

"I…I was out hunting and sneezed," Silvershine said. "Graymist said I should get something from you. It's no big deal, I don-"

"No, no, I'll give you a little catmint to make sure it doesn't develop into greencough," Pepperface pushed aside her into the den. She disappeared into her storeroom and reemerged shortly with a bundle of herbs.

"I thought you said a little!" Silvershine exclaimed.

"I did," Pepperface dropped the stalks at her paws, "this isn't all for you." She picked out a few stalks and pushed them towards Silvershine, "that is. Chew it well; get out all the juices before you swallow."

"What's the rest for?" Silvershine asked. She hoped no one had developed a serious case of greencough.

"Blackfur, Longears, Ashcloud, and Harekit," Pepperface said.

"Harekit!?" Silvershine exclaimed. "But you were checking on her every day!"

"With all the excitement of the battle the other day I forgot," Pepperface said. "And then yesterday it got cold. The elders were complaining about aching joints and whatnot, so I cared for them most of the day. When I checked on her today, she was in pretty bad shape."

"'Pretty bad shape'?" Silvershine repeated. "Will she make it?"

"Only time will tell," Pepperface said. "It's in StarClan's paws. I keep giving her and Bluemist and Pinkkit catmint to keep it from spreading."

"Oh…." Silvershine said. She bent down and began to chew the catmint as Pepperface left. _She won't die, will she?_

_Interesting how you only seem to talk to me when someone's about to die_, Moonsong's meow was curt.

_Sorry,_ Silvershine hunched her shoulders as she swallowed. It was true, she hadn't even thought much of her mother recently besides before the battle. _I've been busy._

_Too busy for your own mother?_ Moonsong asked. Silvershine heard a sigh, _but I understand, you're a warrior now, and warriors don't listen to their mothers…_

_That's not true!_ Silvershine bit another stalk, tilting her head up so that the juices all flowed down her throat. _I…I listen. You're really the only cat I listen to. Maybe Amberpelt too, and Stormstar. But no one else understands._

_Thank-you Silvershine,_ Moonsong's meow had a tone of relief. _I'm glad I could be there for you._

"…I saw her go into Pepperface's den," Silvershine heard meows outside the den.

She scooped the last stalk of catmint into her mouth and bounded out into the clearing. "Here I am!" she announced. "Was someone looking for you."

She was met by Amberpelt who was talking to her sister, Tigerstripe. "Stormstar would like to see you," Amberpelt said. Although her voice didn't show it, her eyes betrayed a sort of accomplishment and pride.

_The kits!_ Silvershine knew instantly. _He's going to ask me to mentor one of them!_ She twirled around with a leap and bounded to Stormstar's den. Every pawstep felt like it landed on a cloud, light and airy and thousands of taillengths above where they were. "I'm here!" She announced, coming in.

"Silvershine, good," Stormstar said. "What's that in your mouth?"

"Oh, it's a stalk of catmint," Silvershine said, gulping it down. "I got it from Pepperface because I started sneezing a little."

"Well, it's good you took care of it," Stormstar said, "you have to stay healthy, we all do."

"But I do especially, right?" Silvershine's excitement was almost uncontainable. She felt as if she were going to burst any moment if Stormstar didn't hurry up and say it. "Mentors can't get sick!"

Stormstar smiled. "I take it you know what this is about."

Silvershine nodded so fast she thought she would snap her neck. She started to tremble with excitement and dug her claws into the earth to steady herself. Her eyes felt twice their size and she worried they'd pop out of their sockets.

"Then I'll get right to it," Stormstar said. "I'm sure by Flavorkit's countdown you know it happens tomorrow. I can think of no one better to mentor one of those kits. You may lack the experience, but you have bonded tremendously with them. Will you do it?"

"Yes yes and a thousand times yes!" Silvershine leapt forward, unable to keep herself still any longer. Although she realized what she had done, she couldn't get herself to sit still again. Her tail stuck straight out and refused to curl at all even her claws would not retract.

A _mrrow_ of laughter escaped Stormstar, but unlike Silvershine, he regained his composure immediately. "Alright then, you will mentor Sunkit."

Silvershine's tail thudded on the dusty earth and her trembling stopped immediately. "S….Sunkit?" she asked.

"Yes," Stormstar said. "Is that a problem?"

It felt like the entire den had just crashed on top of her and she fell from her lofty trail in the sky, slamming into the earth below like a mousebrained ThunderClan warrior hitting a tree in full run. She couldn't reply, couldn't even speak. Nothing made sense; it was all like a bad dream and she just sat there waiting to wake up. "B…but what about…..about Flavorkit?"

"I know," Stormstar said, "I noticed how the two of you have become great friends. But that friendship can get in the way. I question weather you would be able to discipline her properly, or if you would truly have authority over her. She has a very strong spirit, which is great for a warrior, if used properly. Flavorkit needs a mentor who will make her be serious, but allow her to be free when she can.

"I…I could…." Silvershine couldn't even think straight enough to form a sentence anymore.

"I don't think you can," Stormstar said. "Sunkit will make a perfect first apprentice. He's very well-behaved and already looks up to you. You should consider yourself lucky, I know I wish _my_ first apprentice was anything like him." Another _mrrow_ of laughter at his reminiscence came from the WindClan leader, but Silvershine hardly noticed. "You'll be fine. And it's not like if you don't mentor her you'll never see each other again."

"I…I guess…." Silvershine sighed heavily. Without waiting to be dismissed, Silvershine trudged out of the den. Her pawsteps were heavy and thudded on the ground as she dragged them along. As she exited the den, she caught Amberpelt's gaze and saw a sympathetic glimmer in them, she had known.

All the cats avoided her as she crossed the clearing and entered the warrior's den. She curled up in her nest and sulked.


	9. Chapter 8

"At least _try_ to look excited," Amberpelt scolded, grooming Silvershine's unkept fur. "C'mon, it's your first apprentice! You get to be a mentor! Isn't that great!?"

Silvershine said nothing, only let out a sigh.

"Silvershine, you're acting like a kit!" Amberpelt snapped. "Grow up! So you can't mentor Flavorkit, big deal! There's still time for me to tell Stormstar to change his pick. Then someone else can mentor Sunkit. Do you want that?"

Silvershine shook her head.

"Then act like it!" Amberpelt cuffed her ear.

Silvershine took a deep breath and sat up straight. She fought to keep her gloomy thoughts at bay, but despite her efforts, they crept back like dark clouds blocking the light of happiness from her heart.

Stormstar emerged from his den and ascended to the highrock. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highrock for a clan meeting." The summon was unnecessary as most of WindClan had already assembled.

Tigerstripe stood in front of the nursery with her three kits. Flavorkit bobbed up and down happily as her mother attempted to groom her messy golden fur. Patchkit clawed the ground anxiously.

Silvershine's gaze drifted over them and came to rest on Sunkit, who would soon be her apprentice. No clouds of depression could damper the excitement beginning to bubble inside her as she came to grips with the reality that she would soon be a mentor. Motion in the corner of her eye caused her to turn her head slightly. Flavorkit's constant fidgeting demanded attention, and it soon brought Silvershine's mood right back down again.

"It gives me great pleasure to promote these fine kits to apprentice-hood," Stormstar said. "Flavorkit, Patchkit, and Sunkit, come forward."

Flavorkit leapt forward and ran to the base of the Highrock and hopped in place. Patchkit was quick to follow, but attempted to look more dignified. Finally, Sunkit padded along behind them.

Stormstar bounded down from the highrock and stood in front of Flavorkit. "From this day forward, until she earns her warrior name, this apprentice shall be called Flavorpaw. Snowsoot,"

The white tabby she-cat stepped forward.

"You will mentor Flavorpaw," Stormstar went on, "you have a great sense of discipline and much experience to share with this apprentice. I know you'll teach her well."

Snowsoot bowed at the compliments then padded forward and stood behind Flavorpaw. "Ahem," she coughed.

Flavorpaw turned her head and looked at her new mentor, then spun around to face Stormstar again. She continued to look back and forth between the two cats for a good 10 heartbeats. "WHAT?!" she finally cried.

"Is there a problem?" Stormstar asked. Silvershine knew perfectly well that he knew what it was.

"Yea, there's a problem!" Flavorpaw exclaimed. "I'm not gonna listen to this meanie!"

Snowsoot half closed her eyes in annoyance, but said nothing.

"What about Silvershine!?" Flavorpaw asked. "I asked for Silvershine! I saw her go into your den yesterday! You asked her to mentor me, didn't you!?"

"That's none of your concern," Stormstar said.

"It _is_ my concern!" Flavorpaw insisted. "It's about me! I want Silvershine as a mentor!"

"The leader's choice is final," Snowsoot hissed, "now behave!"

"No!" Flavorpaw insisted. "You're not my mommy! And you can't be my mentor! I won't listen to you!"

"Flavorpaw!" Stormstar growled.

"Make Silvershine my mentor right now!" Flavorpaw demanded, stomping in the dirt.

"Flavorpaw," Silvershine bounded forward from her place beside Cloudfrost. "Flavorpaw, stop." She stood at the Flavorpaw's side and brushed her tail down the young apprentice's back. "Calm down. Snowsoot is your mentor, you have to listen to her."

"B….but what about you?!" Flavorpaw looked up at Silvershine, tears welling in her eyes.

"I want to be your mentor too, believe me," Silvershine said, "but I can't. It's not what Stormstar decided, and we have to obey Stormstar. Now go touch noses with your mentor."

Flavorpaw looked over at Snowsoot, then bunched her hunches, leapt up, and collided, face-to-face, with Silvershine. "There, now _you're_ my mentor!"

Silvershine staggered a bit, caught completely off-guard. "No," she said, regaining her composure. "Snowsoot is and that's final. Now do as she says, or you won't be able to go to the next Gathering."

"Wha!?" Flavorpaw's eyes widened. "N…no! I have to go! I have to go with you! We have to go together! Mentor and apprentice!"

"If you behave, we can still go together," Silvershine said, "but I will not be your mentor, got it? Now go on, or you'll be checking the elders for ticks while your littermates and I go have fun at the Gathering."

Flavorpaw tensed up and clawed at the ground. Finally, she took two long, leaping strides and faced Snowsoot, leaning forward to touch noses.

Snowsoot touched her nose to Flavorpaw's and then, nudging the apprentice with her tail, guided her back to sit among the other cats.

"Thank-you, Silvershine," Stormstar said with a nod.

"You're welcome," Silvershine sighed, watching them go. She rose to her paws and returned to her place.

"Now then," Stormstar stepped in front of Patchkit. "From this day forward, until he earns his warrior name, this apprentice shall be called Patchpaw. Cloudfrost."

The white tom beside Silvershine rose and stepped forward.

"You will mentor Patchpaw," Stormstar went on. "You are a strong and loyal warrior, and I know you will pass on all you know to him."

Cloudfrost and Patchpaw touched noses and returned to where Cloudfrost had sat before.

"And last but not least," Stormstar stood in front of Sunkit, "from this day forward, until he earns his warrior name, this apprentice shall be called Sunpaw. Silvershine."

Silvershine got up and stood beside Sunpaw.

"Although you are young and not Clanborn," Stormstar began, and Silvershine winced at the mention of her heritage, "you have proven yourself to be a greatly valued addition to our Clan, and I'm proud to have you mentor Sunpaw. You have persevered through difficulties that would have cause lesser warriors to quit, and you have learned and followed the Warrior Code as well as what some would call a 'true' WindClan warrior. As far as I can see, you are as true as they come, and I know you will teach Sunpaw to be the best he can be."

Silvershine felt a mixture of pride and embarrassment due to all the praise, but with a quick shake of her head, she was over it and she bent down to touch noses with Sunpaw.

"Congratulations," Canyonleaf bounded up to Silvershine's side as the other cats dispersed. "You got what you wanted!"

"Yea…" Silvershine sighed.

"Well, I mean you're a mentor," Canyonleaf said. "And you handled Flavorpaw so well! Better than mean old Snowsoot. Honestly, those two couldn't have been a worse match! What was Stormstar thinking?"

"Snowsoot knows kits," Silvershine admitted, "she knows discipline I guess. He said Flavorpaw needed discipline."

"Well she did a _great_ job showing her knowledge!" Canyonleaf joked. "You would have been _such_ a better choice!"

"Well, the word of the leader is final," Silvershine almost muttered. She definitely shared Flavorpaw's outrage, but at least she knew when to keep quiet.

"Um…" Sunpaw churned the ground nervously with his paws, not looking up.

"Oh, right," Silvershine said. "Let's go, you get to go outside of camp for the first time! I'll talk to you later, alright, Canyonleaf?"

"Alright," Canyonleaf agreed and bounded away.

"Well, c'mon!" Silvershine took off running towards the camp exit. Sunpaw bounded behind her. The two stopped at the rim of the ditch that housed the camp.

A chilly wind swept over the moor and ruffled their fur. Silvershine stood tall, but Sunpaw shivered.

"You'll get used to it," Silvershine coaxed. "Now then, this is WindClan territory. From those trees _waaaay_ over there," she pointed with her tail to ThunderClan territory, "to the twolegplace down there."

"What's over in those trees?" Sunpaw asked.

"That's beyond our borders," Silvershine said, "you must never go there, Sunpaw. That's ThunderClan's territory."

Sunpaw nodded obediently.

"Across the lake there is ShadowClan, and over by twolegplace is RiverClan's territory," Silvershine explained.

"And I can't go there either," Sunpaw said.

"Right," Silvershine said. "Well, let's not stand around here, there's lots to see, and so little time." She bounded down to the moor with Sunkit close behind.

They ran up and over a hill then stopped. The scent hit Silvershine before she actually saw them. Down below was the training hollow, and looking over the edge of it was Snowsoot and Flavorpaw. Flavorpaw's tail dragged the ground and her head hung. Snowsoot seemed to be explaining something, but the apprentice wasn't listening. Just then, her nose twitched and the golden she-cat turned. Her sparkling blue eyes met Silvershine's and the two stood there, saying nothing. Nothing needed to be said, both understood the other perfectly; their feelings were one.

"Flavorpaw, are you listening?" Snowsoot asked.

"Huh?!" Flavorpaw turned to look at her mentor. "Um, yea!"

"Then where are we?" Snowsoot asked.

"Um…." Flavorpaw looked around a bit. "Standing over a ditch?"

Snowsoot let out an annoying sigh. The fact that she didn't look up at them made Silvershine wary. Had the senior warrior seen them? Did she know they were there and was specifically avoiding them?

"W…we'll come back here," Silvershine said. "Let's go to the ThunderClan border, O.K.?"

Sunpaw nodded, but didn't look up as he padded silently beside her.

Before they left, Silvershine stole one more glace back at Flavorpaw. Flavorpaw was looking at her again and the two locked eyes for a few heartbeats in a silent goodbye.


End file.
